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A dog-gone experience

This doesn’t have any connection to food or styling but I guess I just feel like writing about it since it was really something that totally changed my life. And though I enjoyed it, most likely I don’t want to ever go through it again!

So I was given this great opportunity of adopting a golden retriever, Wanda. Goldens have been my dream dogs since I was a kid and getting one was not to be missed. We adopted Wanda and for a year she spent a lot of time going places. She loves car rides, until finally my vet says, now is the last time she can have pups. At 5 years old, I decided heck, it wasn’t going to be so bad to try and have pups. We found a stud, who was a Philippine Champ. A beautiful dark golden retriever named Kelso. We did all the preparations like vaccine, check ups and everything. After 3 matings, I didn’t think Wanda was pregnant at all. After a routine vet check-up, we finally found the reason why she’s been sleeping most of the day…we had puppies!

Wanda was due to be checked into the doggie hospital on June 17, 2010. And guess what, at 5am my mom woke me up screaming…Wanda is giving birth! I saw a big fat puppy (Waldo) rolling around on our outside sofa. I had to transfer this giant dog to the backyard, because the vet’s office was still closed. Because it was still closed, I had asked the vet to come by and check-up on my dog. We didn’t have a maid then so I stayed with Wanda all day. The vet never came, and i lost 3 puppies. That was the last time I would ever get services from that Dr. Missing in Action. 5 pups lived on the first day. 1 had died the next day (the runt) and so I began supplemental feedings on the dogs. I was also balancing this with my work and food styling because we didn’t have a maid. The feeding routine was 6am, 9m, 12 noon, 3 pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12 midnight…that went on for about 2 weeks until we lessened feedings. I made sure my runt, Wiggle, would get more than his brothers.

The pups grew quickly and were large for their size, at 1 month, we had their first deworming. It was funny because this vet (who did home service) was the first outsider to touch our pups…a few days after a horrible bout of kennel cough came over the pups! I called the vet again, he came over to give medication. The poor pups didn’t think they were sick, they just had colds which was abnormal for any dog. We surpassed the kennel cough together, thank God we already had house help because they helped me in giving medication. Two weeks later, I noticed one pup very weak…Wishbone, he began to poo blood. I called the home service vet again and he told me he **thinks** it could be parvo. That was the last time I would ever get services from Dr. I Think.

I decided to move all the pups to Vets in Practice, where Doc Nielsen (who was my parrot’s doctor) checked up on my pups and diagnosed them with heavy WORM infestation. The funny thing is, they just got dewormed…but apparently, Dr. I Think also just estimated the dosage of the dewormer vs. my pups’ weights (which were much bigger than the usual pup). Wishbone, had to be confined…Willy, had a worse infestation but seemed to be doing okay so he was sent home after being properly dewormed. By this time, I had switched vets twice and was still giving milk to the pups. They were the cutest little things that grew and had their own personalities. We visited Wishbone 2x a day to get his share of his daily milk and kibble meal because he was missing out on so much food compared to his brothers.

Wishbone was finally taken home and it was time for the pups to get their first vaccination and their first bath! Everything was going well when Waldo, the firstborn, had a strange disease which we later found out was puppy strangles. This was the worst that could happen to any of the pups at this point. Waldo was hospitalized. Willy on the other hand had his first visitor, who turned into his new owner. Willy was taken home and was the biggest pup after Waldo. We visited Waldo 2x a day giving him his daily share of milk and kibble. He lost a little weight and was confined for 8 days. Doc Riza began a new treatment for him and we were able to take him home. At this time, Wiggle, the runt, had a new visitor who turned out to be his new owner and took him home.

Waldo was first put on Predsinone tablet therapy for a few days and when we were already on the withdrawal phase, he began to show signs of the strangles again. Doc Riza changed his medication to an injectible so that it would be easier to manage. We had to have a daily routine of ear cleaning, face cleaning and ointment application for Waldo. Wishbone, who was supposed to be given to my brother’s girlfriend, was still at home. We decided to just keep him because his girlfriend could not keep him in their house. At the moment, Waldo is already recovering from this horrible sickness and is looking great. He was transferred to his new family just last week. I kinda miss the little pudgy guy.

Wishbone is now called “Jack” and is having clicker training sessions with me daily. We had him blessed along with about a hundred other dogs in Eastwood last week. In a few months, the puppies will be full-grown. Dog breeding is hard work when done right, I think the right kind of food (believe me, Eukanuba large puppy, milk and Tiki-tiki makes puppies grow really big!). Seeing the pups grow from these tiny blind furballs into walking and running beauties made it all worth it. When I think about it, I could’ve easily just bought a new puppy, it would’ve costed less, but anyway, it was a pretty maturing experience.

I can’t wait to catch up with their new families to see how beautiful they all have grown!